[Catholic Caucus] Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Agatha, 02-05-19

FranciscanMedia.org ^ | 02-05-19 | franciscanmedia

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Saint Agatha with her breasts on a charger | Ink drawing | Tommaso Minardi (Caution: link contains graphic content.)| Tommaso Minardi

Saint Agatha

Saint of the Day for February 5

(c. 230 – 251)

Saint Agatha’s Story

As in the case of Agnes, another virgin-martyr of the early Church, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251.

Legend has it that Agatha, like Agnes, was arrested as a Christian, tortured, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She was preserved from being violated, and was later put to death.

She is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire.

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Reflection The scientific modern mind winces at the thought of a volcano’s might being contained by God because of the prayers of a Sicilian girl. Still less welcome, probably, is the notion of that saint being the patroness of such varied professions as those of foundry workers, nurses, miners and Alpine guides. Yet, in our historical precision, have we lost an essential human quality of wonder and poetry, and even our belief that we come to God by helping each other, both in action and prayer?

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Saint Agatha is the Patron Saint of:

Diseases of the Breast

Nurses

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Feel free to post additional Catholic information about this saint or any other Catholic saint who might share this feast day.

Religion Moderator's Guidelines to Caucus/Prayer/Ecumenical threads

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Feast of St. Agatha, Patroness of Sicily
St.Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, Third Century

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Saint of the Day Ping!

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Feast of St. Agatha, Patroness of Sicily
St.Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, Third Century

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Apolytikion of Martyr Agatha
Fourth Tone

O Lord Jesus, unto Thee Thy lamb doth cry with a great voice: O my Bridegroom, Thee I love; and seeking Thee, I now contest, and with Thy baptism am crucified and buried. I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; for Thy sake I die, that I may live in Thee: accept me offered out of longing to Thee as a spotless sacrifice. Lord, save our souls through her intercessions, since Thou art great in mercy.

Kontakion of Martyr Agatha
Fourth Tone

Let the Church be clad today with royal purple in a splendid covering dyed in the chaste and hallowed blood of Martyr Agatha, and let it now cry: Rejoice, O thou boast of Catania.